Advertisements

> From: "Ben Bullock" <>
>
> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>
> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>
> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
> file in question?
>
> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen, but
> I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.

In the iCab browser for Macs, there is a setting that enables all the source
code to be viewed (and consequently saved) in any text editor you have on
board. It will also go directly to the file that powers the browser if it is
on your computer so you can change it. I don't know if you can do this in
other browsers or on other platforms.

Ben Bullock wrote:
> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>
> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>
> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
> file in question?
>
> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
> but I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.

You may try to setup a WebDAV server that hosts the file. Some systems
(client side) have native WebDAV support. If you serve your file as
'text/plain', and the client browser is configured to launch a texteditor
for these files, it may upload the modified file back to the server, when
the user saves it.

"Leonard Blaisdell" <> wrote in message
news:...
> In article <dbsei5$d0c$-u.ac.jp>,
> "Ben Bullock" <> wrote:
>
>> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>>
>> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>
> And edit the file? No there isn't.

That's a shame.
>> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
>> file in question?
>
> That'd be great though.

I was thinking that since a link like news:alt.html seems to work, why not a
text editor pointer? I seem to remember Lynx used to pop up the editor at
some point or other, but perhaps it was something else.
>> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
>> but
>> I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>
> You'd have to do it through something other than HTML markup if I
> understand you correctly.
> Perhaps you are thinking of a Wiki, but then, you don't use a text
> editor to edit it.

Wikipedia uses something like a text editor. I'd rather be able to edit the
text with a real text editor.
>> Thanks for any help,
>
> I doubt I gave you any.

"Benjamin Niemann" <> wrote in message
news:dbt2dq$5pl$...
> Ben Bullock wrote:
>
>> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>>
>> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>>
>> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
>> file in question?
>>
>> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
>> but I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>
> You may try to setup a WebDAV server that hosts the file. Some systems
> (client side) have native WebDAV support. If you serve your file as
> 'text/plain', and the client browser is configured to launch a texteditor
> for these files, it may upload the modified file back to the server, when
> the user saves it.

Thanks for your answer. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to do this.

"dorayme" <> wrote in message
news:BF08076D.14E2F%...
>> From: "Ben Bullock" <>
>>
>> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>>
>> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>>
>> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
>> file in question?
>>
>> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
>> but
>> I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>
>
> In the iCab browser for Macs, there is a setting that enables all the
> source
> code to be viewed (and consequently saved) in any text editor you have on
> board. It will also go directly to the file that powers the browser if it
> is
> on your computer so you can change it. I don't know if you can do this in
> other browsers or on other platforms.
>
> dorayme
>

"dorayme" <> wrote in message
news:BF08076D.14E2F%...
>> From: "Ben Bullock" <>
>>
>> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>>
>> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>>
>> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
>> file in question?
>>
>> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
>> but
>> I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>
>
> In the iCab browser for Macs, there is a setting that enables all the
> source
> code to be viewed (and consequently saved) in any text editor you have on
> board. It will also go directly to the file that powers the browser if it
> is
> on your computer so you can change it. I don't know if you can do this in
> other browsers or on other platforms.

Thanks for your answer. I'm not necessarily thinking of editing the HTML
source code of the page in question.

Anyway thank you for some more insight. Unfortunately I don't have a Mac
though so I can't try it out.

Ben Bullock wrote:
> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>
> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>
> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
> file in question?
>
> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
> but I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>
> Thanks for any help,
>
> Ben.
>

Basically no.

If the file is of type "text/plain" like say a TXT file then *typically*

<a href="sometextfile.txt">Open me</a>

MSIE on Windows will display it as a non-editable preview in the
browser. This is the case if the user has not changed the default behavior.

For other browsers *typically* they will prompt to either 'download' or
'open with default application', if this is a text editor then your are
in luck!

Now is this file *local* to the user or on the Internet? If this file is
on a remote server, even if the the file opens in the user's text
editor, they could only edit their *copy* and save it to their own local
hard drive. It *will not* update the remote file on the server, that
requires a remote protocol like FTP and proper authorization...

"Ben Bullock" <> writes:
> "dorayme" <> wrote in message
> news:BF08076D.14E2F%...
>>> From: "Ben Bullock" <>
>>> Is it possible to make a link in an html document something like
>>> <a href="edit:file">Edit the file</a>
>>> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
>>> file in question?
>>> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen, but
>>> I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>>
>> In the iCab browser for Macs, there is a setting that enables all the source
>> code to be viewed (and consequently saved) in any text editor you have on
>> board. It will also go directly to the file that powers the browser if it is
>> on your computer so you can change it. I don't know if you can do this in
>> other browsers or on other platforms.
>
> Thanks for your answer. I'm not necessarily thinking of editing the HTML source
> code of the page in question.

I hope people will make some noise about this.

I remember the first program I used to write messages to other people over
something like the Internet from my Commodore 64 allowed me to choose an
external editor with which to write those messages.

Some text/console web browsers still have this ability.

It's really a shame that we've taken such a huge step backward. There's the
Mozedit plugin, but it takes some finessing to get it to work with newer
versions of the browser, and IIRC the author says that they don't want to do
any more development on it, because they are of the opinion that it should be a
basic feature of the browser.

"John Sullivan" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "Ben Bullock" <> writes:
> I remember the first program I used to write messages to other people over
> something like the Internet from my Commodore 64 allowed me to choose an
> external editor with which to write those messages.
>
> Some text/console web browsers still have this ability.
>
> It's really a shame that we've taken such a huge step backward. There's
> the
> Mozedit plugin, but it takes some finessing to get it to work with newer
> versions of the browser, and IIRC the author says that they don't want to
> do
> any more development on it, because they are of the opinion that it should
> be a
> basic feature of the browser.
>
> Whatever happened to $EDITOR?

I was editing some parts of Wikipedia yesterday with tables in it and it
would have been nice to be able to use Emacs to do that. At the moment it's
possible to cut everything out of that window, then paste it to Emacs, then
cut it from Emacs and paste it back in there, but seriously editing in those
little grey boxes is annoying, I think. I'm not saying that Emacs is any
better than the little grey boxes in principle, but after thirteen or
fourteen years of it I can "work" Emacs much more easily than I can do
pointing and clicking with a mouse.

The growth of Wikipedia type editable documents, web forums, commentable
blogs, etc. on the web should make the user's choice of text editor more,
not less, relevant, perhaps? Providing a default editing window with the
browser is OK, but why not let the user choose this?

Anyway there doesn't seem to be an easy solution for my problem at the
moment, unfortunately.

> From: "Ben Bullock" <>
>
> "dorayme" <> wrote in message
>>> From: "Ben Bullock" <>
>>> which would then pop up the user's own favourite text editor to edit the
>>> file in question?
>>>
>>> I know it's possible to have a text editing window on a browser screen,
>>> but
>>> I'd like to be able to send the file to a text editor.
>>
>>
>> In the iCab browser for Macs, there is a setting that enables all the
>> source
>> code to be viewed (and consequently saved) in any text editor you have on
>> board. It will also go directly to the file that powers the browser if it
>> is
>> on your computer so you can change it. I don't know if you can do this in
>> other browsers or on other platforms.
>
> Thanks for your answer. I'm not necessarily thinking of editing the HTML
> source code of the page in question.
>
> Anyway thank you for some more insight. Unfortunately I don't have a Mac
> though so I can't try it out.
>

Seems I misunderstood your question! But really it is me who should be
thanking you for the opportunity to try to help another human sufferer...

In article <BF0A6451.14EB9%>,
dorayme <> wrote:
> Seems I misunderstood your question! But really it is me who should be
> thanking you for the opportunity to try to help another human sufferer...

You're only suffering from OS9. I was a kindred spirit until the Mini
came out Alas, I don't think iCab is supported, but Safari is great
without the benefits that iCab has. But it has other benefits that will
make you smile (speed and in most cases, better implemented conformity
to web standards implemented now). iCab is a great instant critic but
lousy implementor. And their base is shrinking.

Mac ruleZ! (index and little fingers on both hands pointing to each
other on up and down angles to the ecliptic with the thumbs pointing
generally up) Nuff said, YO!

Share This Page

Welcome to The Coding Forums!

Welcome to the Coding Forums, the place to chat about anything related to programming and coding languages.

Please join our friendly community by clicking the button below - it only takes a few seconds and is totally free. You'll be able to ask questions about coding or chat with the community and help others.
Sign up now!